From “Stewart Hicks”. ( Nebula )

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Have you ever walked past a building in a city like Chicago and wondered why no one ever seems to go in or out? It’s likely a cleverly disguised piece of critical infrastructure: a substation. In this video, we explore these hidden-in-plain-sight facilities that power entire neighborhoods, examining how and why cities disguise such vital structures. We dive into the world of urban infrastructure, from transformers and circuit breakers hidden behind fake windows and doors, to the architectural evolution of utility buildings from grand monuments like Chicago’s iconic Water Tower to today’s camouflaged and inconspicuous designs.

But why did we shift from proudly displaying infrastructure as "industrial sublime" to hiding it behind disguises that mimic ordinary buildings? We discuss how concerns over terrorism, aesthetics, and public fears have driven critical urban facilities underground — both literally and metaphorically.

We also examine alternative approaches to infrastructure design, highlighting bold examples like architect Stanley Tigerman’s award-winning substation in Chicago and NL Architects’ innovative Heat Transfer Station in Utrecht, where infrastructure becomes engaging public spaces instead of something to hide.

Ultimately, we question the costs of invisibility: when we don’t see infrastructure, we stop understanding it. This video argues for transparency and visibility, so citizens can better appreciate, maintain, and advocate for the vital systems that keep cities running smoothly.

#Architecture #Infrastructure #UrbanDesign #CityPlanning #HiddenInfrastructure #Chicago #Substations #PublicSpace #Camouflage #IndustrialSublime

Special Thanks:

– Evan Montgomery — Co-Producer
– Daniela Osorio Sanudo — Graphics / 3D
– SOM (som.com) — Filming Location

Bibliography:

Gapp, Paul. "Power Stations That Don’t Look Like Power Stations." *Chicago Tribune*, March 9, 1986.

Halliday, John. *Chicago’s Water Tower: A Century of Survival*. Chicago: Chicago Historical Society, 1999.

Kaika, Maria. *City of Flows: Modernity, Nature, and the City*. New York: Routledge, 2006.

Koolhaas, Rem. "The Generic City." In *Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory*, edited by Neil Leach, 345-364. London: Routledge, 1997.

Latour, Bruno. *We Have Never Been Modern*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993.

Leach, Neil. *The Anaesthetics of Architecture*. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1999.

Mattern, Shannon. "Infrastructural Tourism." *Places Journal*, July 2013. https://doi.org/10.22269/130729.

Tuan, Yi-Fu. *Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience*. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977.

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__About the Channel__
Architecture with Stewart is a YouTube journey exploring architecture’s deep and enduring stories in all their bewildering glory. Weekly videos and occasional live events breakdown a wide range of topics related to the built environment in order to increase their general understanding and advocate their importance in shaping the world we inhabit.

__About Me__
Stewart Hicks is an architectural design educator that leads studios and lecture courses as an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and is the co-founder of the practice Design With Company. His work has earned awards such as the Architecture Record Design Vanguard Award or the Young Architect’s Forum Award and has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Design Miami, as well as at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern in London. His writings can be found in the co-authored book Misguided Tactics for Propriety Calibration, published with the Graham Foundation, as well as essays in MONU magazine, the AIA Journal Manifest, Log, bracket, and the guest-edited issue of MAS Context on the topic of character architecture.

__Contact__
FOLLOW me on instagram: @stewart_hicks & @designwithco
Design With Company: https://designwith.co
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture: https://arch.uic.edu/

__Attributions__
Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Storyblocks, and Shutterstock.
Music provided by Epidemic Sound and includes music from Chromatic by Tom Fox
https://www.youtube.com/@chromaticbytomfox"

#architecture #urbandesign